Stretchable plastic-coated fabric and method of making the same



May 27, 1958 K. o. BERRY 2,836,509 STRETCHABLE PLASTIC-COATED FABRIC AND METHOD OF MAKING THE 'SAME Filed Sept. 13, 1955 v END PRoavic/T HEA TED ROLLS CHLORIDE POL YV/A/ vz.

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U d S es Patent STRETCHABLE PLASTIC-CDATED FABRIC AND METHQD OF MAKING THE SAME Kenneth Ollerenshaw Berry, Caernarvon, Wales Application September 13, 1955, Serial No. 534,164

Claims priority, application Great Britain October 3, 1954 7 Claims. (Cl. 117-7) This invention relates to coated fabrics, as for example the types which are employed in upholstering, interior car trimming, panelling etc. and is particularly concerned with plastic-coated fabrics having, for example, a surface coating of polyvinyl chloride.

Such fabrics are usually resistant to stretching particularly in the longitudinal direction with the result that certain disadvantages are encountered when the fabric is used. For example, it has been found in securing car roof lining or interiors made from such fabrics, the material is not so readily affixed to curved surfaces without creasing as is the case with other stretchable materials. In addition, it will beappreciated that upholstered articles of furniture such as chairs, settees and the like are preferably covered with a material which is extensible since this slight extensibility relieves strain and promotes longer wear in use.

It is the object of the present invention therefore to provide a plastic-coated fabric which is capable of being stretched in both the longitudinal and lateral directions, so that it better lends itself to the uses mentioned without the disadvantages hitherto encountered.

According to the present invention there is provided a method of treating fabric coated with plastic, such as polyvinyl chloride, so as to render it capable of being stretched which includes passing the finished fabric through water heated to a temperature at or approaching the boiling point of water, say 75l00 C. and subsequently drying the fabric in a manner which avoids longitudinal tension.

The temperature of the water, which may conveniently be in a water bath is advantageously maintained at approximately 95 C. Alternatively, the same object may be achieved by passing the finished fabric through water followed by steam bath and again drying in a manner which avoids longitudinal tension.

Preferably the coated fabric is heated, for example, by passing over steam heated plates or cylinders prior to being passed through the water or steam.

In practice, the fabric is preferably dried by the application of heat thereto whilst the fabric is run through a clip or pin stenter. A lateral tension may be applied to the fabric whilst it is running through the clip or pin stenter.

The invention will, of course, include fabric treated by the methods aforesaid.

The single figure in the drawing is a flow diagram illustrating the process of making plastic coated fabrics in accordance with the present invention.

in order that the invention may be more fully understood, the following description of one preferred method treating one polyvinyl chloride coated fabric is given by way of example. It is not necessary to describe the apparatus used in detail since such apparatus is of conventional construction and well known in the art.

A fabric woven from cellulosic yarn, such as cotton is ice cropped, bleached, stentered to width in known manner. The fabric is then coated on one side only with plasticised polyvinyl chloride which is subsequently embossed and matte finished.

The coated fabric is now passed around steam heated cylinders to heat the fabric after which it is passed through a bath of water which is heated to a temperature of about C. The fabric passes through the water free from tension and is then run through a clip or pin stenter or festoon drier. Whilst passing through the stenter or festoon drier, no, or very little, longitudinal ension is applied to the fabric. Heat is applied to dry the fabric backing and subsequently to drying the fabric is warehoused.

It is, of course, a known property of cellulosic yarn, such as spun cotton, that it will shrink under the hot wet treatments described when allowed to dry without restraint, and that spun rayon yarn swells under such treatment and hence shrinks in length. Consequently, when the coated fabric is first subjected to dry heat sufficient to plasticise the polyvinyl chloride coating and then the fabric is subjected to shrinking treatment, the plasticity of the coating will permit it to contract with the fabric and reduce in dimensional size, but since the plastic does not have the same property of shrinking it is constrained to become wavy to the extent necessary to accommodate its dimensional contraction. in other words, while the surface or superficial area of the plastic coating is substantially unchanged from that of the unshrunken woven fabric layer, the overall dimensions of the coating are changed in conformity with the change in such dimensions of the woven fabric. As the shrunken fabric is stretched in any direction to cause it to conform to a surface having a compound curvilinear shape, the plastic coating will follow at least until it yields its wavy configuration. Thus there has been imparted to the coated fabric the property of stretchability.

The fabric treated as set out above is stretchable laterally or longitudinally.

it is to be understood that the foregoing example has been given as an illustration of the invention and that variations may be made thereto. Any type of polyvinyl chloride-coated fabric, which may be of, for example, cotton, rayon, or other fibres or mixtures thereof can be employed in the treatment, and the surface may have been finished in any conventional or known manner, for example, with bright, matte, embossed, plain or printed finish prior to being treated. If desired, drying of the fabric can be effected by the use of a festoon dryer.

I claim:

1. The method of producing a plastic coated fabric capable of being stretched comprising coating one side of a fabric woven from cellulosic yarn with plasticized polyvinyl chloride, heating the coated fabric, subjecting the heated fabric free of longitudinal tension to hot moisture approximating boiling temperature, and then drying the fabric while substantially free of longitudinal tension.

2. The method of producing a plastic coated fabric capable of being stretched comprising coating one side of a fabric woven from cellulosic yarn with a polyvinyl chloride resin, heating the coated fabric, subjecting the heated fabric free of longitudinal tension to hot moisture approximating boiling temperature, and then drying the fabric while substantially free of longitudinal tension.

3. The method of producing a plastic coated fabric capable of being stretched comprising coating one side of a fabric woven from cotton yarn with a polyvinyl chloride resin, heating the coated fabric, subjecting the heated fabric free of longitudinal tension to hot moisture fabric while substantially free of longitudinal tension.

4. The method of producing a plastic coated fabric capable of being stretched "comprisingcoating. one side of 'a fabric woven from rayon yarn with .atpolyvinyl chloride resin, heating the coatedfabric, subjecting the heated fabric free of longitudinal tension to hot moisture approximating. boiling temperature, and then drying the fabric While substantially free of longitudinal, tension.

5. The method defined in claim 3 in which the hot .moisture is a water bath having a temperature between 75 C. and 100C. 7

6. A plastic coated fabric comprising a fabric layer woven from cellulosic yarn which has been shrunken from an original size, and a polyvinyl "chloride coating 7 on one side of said layer having a superficial area sub- 7 "stantially equal to'that of the unshrunken woven fabric but conforming in overall dimensions to the shrunken woven fabric. 7 v g V s 7. A plastic coated fabric comprising .a fabric layer approximating boilin'g temperature, and then drying the woven from cellulosic yarn which has been shrunken from an original size, and a plasticized polyvinyl chloride coating on one side of said layer having a superficial area substantially equal to that of the unshrunken woven fabric but conforming in overall dimensions to the shrunken woven fabric.

References Cited in the file 'of this'patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. THE METHOD OF PRODUCING A PLASTIC COATED FABRIC CAPABLE OF BEING STRETCHED COMPRISING COATING ONE SIDE OF A FABRIC WOVEN FROM CELLULOSIC YARN WITH PLASTICIZED POLYVINYL CHLORIDE, HEATING THE COATED FABRIC, SUBJECTING THE HEATED FABRIC FREE OF LONGITUDINAL TENSION TO HOT MOISTURE APPROXIMATING BOILING TEMPERATURE, AND THEN DRYING THE FABRIC WHILE SUBSTANTIALLY FREE OF LONGITUDINAL TENSION. 